CHK America has announced they will be developing easy-to-use customer information panels at all 1,200 bus stops located throughout Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus transit system, which spans 51 square miles from Pacific Palisades to UCLA, LAX, and the beach areas of Santa Monica and Venice.

Each stop-specific panel will offer pedestrian-level customer information that adheres to CHK America’s number one design guideline – the 8 Second Rule. Through the company’s extensive research, it has been determined that passengers allow approximately 8 seconds to interpret travel information. They must begin receiving answers in that time or they become frustrated, resulting in passenger dissatisfaction.

Rick Wood, President and CEO of CHK America, believes that Big Blue Bus is a leader and pioneer in many areas of public transportation. “This project is another example of their forward looking, customer service oriented approach to transportation,” Wood said. “They recognize that providing stop-specific information throughout the Big Blue Bus system increases connectivity and ridership within their extensive service area.”

Dan Dawson, Customer Relations Manager, Big Blue Bus added, “The Big Blue Bus is committed to making public transit simple and easy to use and the addition of this new signage will be one more element that will accomplish this goal. Access to information about routes and schedules right at the stops will certainly help people wait less and make riding the Big Blue Bus even easier.”

CHK America – Established in September 1999, CHK America provides passenger information solutions to the public transportation industry, in addition to delivering cartographic products and services across other business sectors. CHK America, a division of United Kingdom based Cook, Hammond and Kell, was established to expand the reach of its parent company’s products across the US. CHK’s products and services have been distributed extensively across Europe for over 140 years and now reach over 20% of all US public transit passengers. Other companies in the group include Cook, Hammond and Kell, FWT Studios, Oxford Cartographers, National Map Center London, National Map Center Dublin.